How To Shrink Polyester Gloves

You may need to know how to shrink polyester gloves if you accidently purchased them too large. Polyester is a popular choice of material because they are made to be resistant to stretching and shrinking. They are easy to wash and mildew resistant. Although they are made tough and resistant to shrinking, there is a way to get them to shrink by using a heat method.

Items needed:

Hot Water

Clothes dryer

Laundry detergent (optional)

Steps

Turn the gloves inside out before shrinking. This will keep the outside color of the gloves from fading. Make sure the fingers are pulled out and not bunched together which could cause wrinkles during the heat drying process.

Place the gloves in the washing machine with the hottest possible setting. If you want to use this time to wash the gloves add a small amount of liquid laundry detergent. If the gloves are a bright color, you may prefer to not to wash them in the washing machine with hot water. You can wash or rinse them in the sink instead. Most of the shrinkage will be done in the hot dryer.

Prepare to dry the gloves on the highest heat your dryer will allow. Make sure the fingers of the gloves are still straight and not bunched together. Allow the gloves to dry completely in the dryer. Polyester will not shrink if you remove them before they are completely dry. The complete absence of moisture is what will allow the fibers to shrink.

Remove the gloves from the dryer while they are still hot. Play with the fingers again to make sure they are holding their form. Allow the polyester gloves to cool enough where you can comfortable turn them right side out. Put them on your hands to allow them to finish cooling. This will allow them to maintain their shape and mold to your hands for the perfect fit.

Determine if your gloves are still to large. If so, repeat the above steps again to shrink polyester gloves even more.

Tips: More shrinkage can be obtained by using a hot iron on damp gloves. However, this method is not recommend because the small size of the gloves can make them difficult to hold flat while ironing without burning yourself. Proceed with caution if you try it.